Pepperdine women’s basketball lost 81-70 to the University of San Francisco in a road game at the Sobrato Center. The defeat marks the team’s second consecutive loss away from home and drops their record to 15-11 overall, with a 6-8 standing in West Coast Conference (WCC) play.
Head coach Katie Faulkner commented on the team’s effort, saying, “On the road, every possession demands our full presence. We battled at times, but this one showed us where our focus needs to be sharper moving forward.”
The Waves struggled offensively throughout the game, shooting just .279 from the field. Despite limiting themselves to only eight turnovers compared to San Francisco’s 21, Pepperdine could not overcome their shooting difficulties. The Dons capitalized on their higher field goal percentage (.526) and doubled Pepperdine’s points in the paint by a margin of 40 to 20.
Elli Guiney led Pepperdine in scoring during the first quarter with seven points as the team trailed 17-10 after ten minutes. In the second quarter, Bella Green contributed five points and four rebounds, helping spread out offensive production among four players. At halftime, Pepperdine was behind 32-23.
After halftime, Pepperdine improved its shooting percentage in the third quarter but was matched by an even stronger offensive showing from San Francisco. Meghan Fiso and Lina Falk each scored seven points in that period, while Green led with nine points. Despite outscoring San Francisco in the fourth quarter and reducing the deficit to within a few possessions several times, Pepperdine could not complete a comeback.
Meghan Fiso finished as the leading scorer for Pepperdine with 18 points. Bella Green recorded her third double-double of the season with 17 points and 12 rebounds. Lina Falk achieved a career-high six steals.
The Waves have won just one conference road game this season, which came against Santa Clara.
Pepperdine returns home next week for its final two home games of conference play, beginning with a matchup against San Diego for its annual Play4Kay Game on Thursday night. Tipoff is scheduled for 6 p.m., and coverage will be available via ESPN+ (subscription required) and live stats at www.pepperdinewaves.com.
Pepperdine women’s basketball has made four NCAA postseason appearances in its history and has claimed both regular-season and tournament WCC titles multiple times. The program reached the Sweet Sixteen round of the WNIT Tournament in 2019 and has produced six All-American selections over its history.
For ticket information regarding upcoming home events, visit www.pepperdinewaves.com/tickets.
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